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The soul: what dubious questions concerning it admit of
solution, or where we must abide our doubt- with, at least, the
gain of recognizing the problem that confronts us- this is matter
well worth attention. On what subject can we more reasonably
expend the time required by minute discussion and investigation?
Apart from much else, it is enough that such an enquiry
illuminates two grave questions: of what sphere the soul is the
principle, and whence the soul itself springs. Moreover, we will
be only obeying the ordinance of the God who bade us know
ourselves.
Our general instinct to seek and learn, our longing to possess
ourselves of whatsoever is lovely in the vision will, in all
reason, set us enquiring into the nature of the instrument with
which we search.
Now even in the universal Intellect [Divine Mind] there was
duality, so that we would expect differences of condition in
things of part: how some things rather than others come to be
receptacles of the divine beings will need to be examined; but
all this we may leave aside until we are considering the mode in
which soul comes to occupy body. For the moment we return to our
argument against those who maintain our souls to be offshoots
from the soul of the universe [parts and an identity modally
parted].
Our opponents will probably deny the validity of our arguments
against the theory that the human soul is a mere segment of the
All-Soul- the considerations, namely, that it is of identical
scope, and that it is intellective in the same degree, supposing
them, even, to admit that equality of intellection.
They will object that parts must necessarily fall under one
ideal-form with their wholes. And they will adduce Plato as
expressing their view where, in demonstrating that the All is
ensouled, he says "As our body is a portion of the body of the
All, so our soul is a portion of the soul of the All." It is
admitted on clear evidence that we are borne along by the Circuit
of the All; we will be told that- taking character and destiny
from it, strictly inbound with it- we must derive our souls,
also, from what thus bears us up, and that as within ourselves
every part absorbs from our soul so, analogically, we, standing
as parts to the universe, absorb from the Soul of the All as
parts of it. They will urge also that the dictum "The collective
soul cares for all the unensouled," carries the same implication
and could be uttered only in the belief that nothing whatever of
later origin stands outside the soul of the universe, the only
soul there can be there to concern itself with the unensouled.
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